The three-time champion jockey on the Flat in Great Britain, Silvestre de Sousa, has been banned from racing for ten months after admitting breaching betting rules.
The Brazilian has been hit with the charge by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), after he and his countryman Vagner Borges were found to have broken rule 59 (3): ‘no jockey shall bet, or facilitate the making of a bet, or have any interest in a bet, on any race or any contingency relating to a race meeting.’
It’s been alleged that Borges bet on his horse, Young Brilliant, to win a handicap race at Happy Valley back in April – the 17/1 chance ended up finishing seventh. It’s claimed that De Sousa ‘facilitated’ Borges’ bet for him, although no further information has been given.
De Sousa finished eleventh in the same race aboard Satirical Glory, although there’s no suggestion that he or Borges indulged in foul play designed to change the outcome of the action.
“There was no evidence before the stewards that jockeys Borges and De Sousa had ridden their horses in the respective race with any intention other than to obtain the best possible placing for their mounts,” a statement from HKJC read.
The Brazilian would be allowed to take rides in the UK, where his reputation as a three-time champion jockey with wins in the British Champions Sprint Stakes, International Stakes and Champion Stakes precedes him.
De Sousa has also won big races in France and the UAE, so there will be no shortage of interest in the 42-year-old’s services.
But he will be feeling the pinch in his back pocket after shock revelations that he had earned some £6.4 million for 342 rides in Hong Kong – De Sousa earned ‘just’ £718,000 for his prior 350 rides on UK soil.
MLS Midfielder Banned Amid Betting Probe
Meanwhile, a midfielder plying his trade in Major League Soccer has been suspended while a federal investigation into alleged match-fixing is carried out.
Max Alves, who plays for the Colorado Rapids, allegedly got booked on purpose as part of a betting fix in Brazil, where he previously played for Flamengo.
The 21-year-old is just one of a number of players named in the writ, which claims that the individuals in question were paid by a betting ring to get yellow carded so that they could profit accordingly.
Although Alves is yet to be charged with an offence, 16 others – including seven players from the Brazilian Serie A – have been charged with various offences by the Public Ministry in the South American country.
They allege that a group of players have ‘collaborated’ with criminal gangs to spot fix, while in Goias a number of allegations have been made that Serie A, Serie B and state championship matches have been rigged – including a $100,000 (£79,000) payment to one unnamed player to get sent off.
It has also been alleged that other players were paid between $10,000 and $20,000 to deliberately give away corner kicks.